Automatic clutch.



Iva-842,629.

PATENTED JAN. 29, 1907. W. COOPER. AUTOMATIC CLUTCH. APPLICATION FILED JULY 14, 1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

INVENTOR- WI TN ESSESQ PATENTED JAN. 29, 1907.

W. COOPER. AUTOMATIC CLUTCH.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 14. 1906.,

a SHEETS-SHEET 2.

. N QE WITNESSES.

PATENTED JAN. 29, 1907..

a SHEETS-$11231 a INVENTOR.

WITNE SES.

M COOPER, or DENVER, coLonADo.

AUTOMATIC CLUTCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 29, 1907.

Application filed July 14, 1906. Serial No; 326,166-

To all whom, it may concern:

. Be it known that 1, WILLIAM CooPER, a

citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Denver, in the county of Denver and 5 State of Colorado, have invented or discovered new and useful Improvements in AutomaticOlu'tches, ofwhich the followingis a specification.

My invention consists in new and improved safety, devices adapted for use in connection with hoisting mechanism .of all kinds, such asmine and other draft mechan: ISDJS.

A frequent accident in the .use of hoisting machinery and one fraught with eat danger to lives and property is due to oss of control over the hoist, resulting in an overtvind and dashing the cage, bucket, skip, or; other receptacle against the sheave or i allows frame. In such cases the power hinery refuses to respond to the usual 1 tomatic means to release the rotating dingpower from the cable drum or "spool -nd render the same idle, so that it may be readily stopped inan instant by "in eans' of thehand or other braking means assisted by the Weight of the load. I have shown mechanism which engages the runaway bucket or other receptacle at a predetermined oint and being actuatedthereby in turn re eases the device, 'such as the friction-clutch, which communicates the Wind- ..-in0-. mption to the cable-spool.

' nt'he accompanyingdrawings, Figure 1 is g e'neral side view of my invention applied sai to a vertical mine-shaft, the shaft-mouthand operative doors being shown in section and well-known parts of the hoisting-engine being omitted for the sake of cl'earness. ig. 2 is a plan view of the same Withthe cab e land isheave omitted. Fig. 3 is an enlarged pla n view of the hoisting-engine; and Fig. 4 is-a side view along the line I V IV in Flg. 3, the hand-brake-controlling lever being omitted for the-sake of clearness.- I

The following is. a detailed description of said drawings, which are, however, only illustrative of the princi les of my inventlon and are not intended to imit the scope there-v of to the construction and mechanism shown.

1 is a mine-shaft adapted to be closed by the usual doors 2 2, and 3 is thehoistingreceptacle, shown inthis case as a bucket;

piling apparatus, and I therefore pro- 17 17, attached to disk 12.

'mountedon the free ends of standards 22 22,

- bed-frame of the engine.

hbut any other form may be substitutedas,

for'instance', a cage or skip. 4 is the cable, suspending said bucket and passing over the sheave 5, supported in the gallows-frame (not shown) and wound about 'the cable drum or .spool 6 of the hoisting-engine. Said cable-spool is loosely-mounted in the usual manner on the power-shaft 7 of the ene; Sis an annular flange or lip extending aterally from said spool 6, against which the friction-blocks 9 9 are forced by the clutch band 10 when the clutch is thrown on. .11 11 are L-bolts carried by disk 12, which disk revolves with the shaft 7, said bolts serving to retain the said friction-blocks at alltimes in perfect ali'nement with flange 8. One end of said clutch-band 10 is secured to the outer end-of member 13, rigidly attached to the disk 12, While the other end of said band is pivoted to the outer end of bell-crank lever 7 5 14, which is pivoted at its angleto member 13 by means of link or links 15.

. To the inner end of lever 14 is pivotally secured the slide 16, which moves in guides 8o 18 is a connecting-rod pivoted at its outer end to the slide 16 and at its inner end to thimble 19, which is slidably mounted on shaft 7 and rotates therewith.

It is evident that the friction-clutch mechanism above described rotates with the power-shaft 7. w

- 20 20 are antifriction-rollers adapted to engage annular "move 21 in the thimble 19 and go which are rigidly mounted on rock-shaft23, which shaft is/suitably j ournaled, as at 24' and 25, in the bed-frame of the engine.

26 is a slotted arm. rigidly attached to shaft 23.

27 is a connecting-rod pivoted at its upper end to said arm 26 and at its lower end to an arm 28, which is rigidly attached to transverse rock-shaft 29, which is j ournaled in the 30 is a hand-lever rigidly keyed or otherwise secured at its lower .end-to the rockshaft 29.

in is evident that should, lever 30 be thrown to the right in Fig. 4 the rock-shaft 23 x05 would be rotated toward the cable-spool, moving the upper ends of standards22 22 in a like direction, thus slidi thimble 19 inwardly toward the disk 12. The-slide 16 will thus be forced outwardly, in turn forcing out 1 1o engine and provided with an integral sector the lnner arm of bell-crank-lever 14, whereby the left insaidfigure, the above operation would be reversed and the friction-clutch loosened from the flange 8 and allowing the same to be idle.

31 31 are twinlocking-quadrants,which are pivoted at one end by pin 32 to framework 33, mounted on the engine-frame. Between the free ends of the quadrants is rigidly se cured the sector 34.

35 is a meinber pivotedto the frarre of the 36, concentric with said pivot, which sector intermeshes with sector 34, rigid with quadrants 31 31. The longer arm of said member 35 is pivoted at its end to the connecting-rod 37, which may pass forward under the engine, to be pivoted at its forward end to the short arm of lever 38, which is pivoted intern ediate of its length to a rigid portion 39 of the engine-frame. i

40 40 are twin'doors located in the path of the ascending cage or bucket sufl'icientl above the shaft-mouth not to interfere with loading and unloading. Said doors are hinged, as shown, to the gallows-frame 41 by means of hinge-shafts 4242, rigidly attached to said doors. Said doors when closed are preferably arranged to assume the illustrated inclined positions, being cut away, as at 43 43, to admit the passage of the cable 4.

44 44 are levers rigidly attached to doors 4() 40, respectively, and connected b -f pivoted connecting-rod 45. so that both doors are open uniformly when one is struck bf. the ascending bucket. Owing to the tendency of the bucket to swing wildly, perfect engagement of both doors by the; bucket is improbable, and the above mechanism to insure uniform action is desirable. 46 46 are bars rigidly attached. to said doors and adapted to be engaged by spring-eatches 46 46 'on the gallows-frame when the doors are thrown open, thus holding said doors open until released at pleasure.

47 is a connecting-rod pivoted at one end to the lever 44 and at the other end to the upper end of lever 38.

48 is a spring-latch mechanism carried by the hand-lever 30 and adapted to engage the quadrants 3131 when said quadrants are, in the position shown in the drawings.

v4.9 is an arm rigid with shaft 29 andprovided with a counterbalance-weight 50.

51 is a band-brake-of any known design, having one end fixed to the enginebed, as at 52, and the other end pivoted to arm 53, rigidly attached to sleeve 54,.which is loosely mounted on shaft 29.

type of engine .is self,- evident.

55 is a hand-lever having its lower end rig idly attached tosleeve 54 and capable of be- ()5 ing locked at any desired position by means of theengagentent of its latch mechanism (not shown) with twin quadrants 56 56.

v To operate the cableedrum so thatthe bucket may be elevated, the engineer applies the friction-clutch to the cable-spool by throwing the hand-lever 30 to the right to a degree suflicientrto attain the desired speed of revolution. Then it is desired to stop the winding'up of the bucket, he may either release the friction-clutch from the spool and apply the brake or shut off the throttle, as

inglever 44 toward the right, thus forcing the upper end of lever 38 toward the engine and drawing forward toward the left the connect ing-rod 37, which serves to rotate the sector 36 toward the right, communicating a reverse motion to. the sector 34, rigid-,with quadrants 31 31, thus depressing the fsee'efnds of the quadrants until the spring-latch 4S loses its engagement with the teeth of said quadrant. The counterbalance -weight 50 then throws the released lever 30 toward the left, rocking shaft 20 in .the same direction, depressing the arm 28, and drawing down the connecting-rod 27, rocking shaft 23 away from the disk 12, and thereby throwing the standards 22 22 in the same direction. This movement of the standards 22 22 draws the thimble 19 outwardly on shaft 7, thereby releasing the friction-clutch from the cablespool and permitting the rotation of the same to be readily stopped by means of the described handebrake or other convenient means. The spring-catches 46 46? hold the doors 40 40 open, and thus maintain the clutch thrown off until it is desired to release the automatic safety mechanism.

It is evident from the above that my safety mechanism is entirely automatic in its action, which is positive and instantaneous in releasing the cable-spool from itso pen' ative connection with the engine; I have shown my invention for the sake of i'llustra tion applied to a well-known type of steam hoisting-engine but its applicability to any Its use, moreover,- is not confined to steam-engines, but-"is adapted to gasor explosive engines, electric motors, or any other character of power mechanism.

I have shown my invention applied to friction-clutches; but 1t may be arranged to automaticall release any form of-operative connection etween the cable-spool and powermechanism. fl a I have shown the mechanism in connection with a vertical mine-shaft in which a bucket is used as the hoisting-receptacle;--but its use receptacle is self-evident.

In case of an inclined shaft 0% in connection with acage or other hoisting-- slo e or a horizontal shaft or drift, w ere s ips or mine-cars are used instead of buckets or cages, lt'is equally useful,-and its application is clear to-those skilled in the art.

Many modifications and 'variations of mechanism embodying my invention will occur to those skilled in the art, which, however, are within the scope of my invention.-

I therefore do not wish to limit myself to the embodiments and constructions shown; but

I claim, broadly- 1. In hoists',.a drum controlling said receptacle, power mechanism, a clutch device interposed between said drum and saidpow'er mechanism, locking means for maintaining said clutch device in its operative osition, means whereby the said rece tac e in passing a given point automatica 1y releases said clutch and automatic means for throwing'said clutch into its inoperative position when said looking means are released. 4

2. In hoists, a hoisting-receptacle, a cable: drum controlling said receptacle, 1 power mechanism, a clutch device interposed between said drum and said power mechanism,

a controller attached to said clutch device,

mechanism, a clutch interposed between said .drum and said power mechanism, a lever controllingsaid clutch, a quadrant adapted to lock'said lever stationary and means for automaticallyswinging-said quadrant out of enga ement with said lever.

5. Iri'hoists, a hoisting-receptacle, a'cabledrum controlling said receptacle, power.

mechanism, a clutch interposed between said drum and said power mechanism, a lever controlling said clutch, a quadrant adapted to lock said lever stationary and means operated by the movement of said receptacle for hoisting-receptacle, a cable'-' throwin said quadrant out-"of engagement with sai lever.

6; In hoists, a hoisting-receptacle, 'a cable? drumf controlling said receptacle, power mechanism, a clutch interposedbetween said to. lock s id'lever stationary, a sector mountcontroll" said clutch, a quadrant adapted ed on E5 "d quadrant, a pivoted member for swi ing said ivoted member. I I

couple said drum to said power mechanism,

swinging quadrant adapted to lock said lever to int'ermesh with said sector, a member in ber and said sector member.

8. In hoists, a hoisting-receptacle, a cable.- drum controlling said receptacle, power mechanism, a friction-clutch adapted. to

mechanism, a lever controlling said clutch, means for normally maintaining said lever in its inoperative position, means for locking said lever in its operative position, and means operated by'the movement of said receptacle for releasing said locking means. I

9. In hoists, a hoisting-receptacle, hoistin mechanism controlling said receptacle, a iction-clutch, a lever adapted to control said clutch, a quadrant pivoted atone end and adapted to lock said lever in place, a sector ri idly mounted on the free end of engine-frame and intermeshing with said first sector, an arm rigidly attached to'said second sector, means interposed in the path of said receptacle and adapted to be engaged thereby and operative means connectmg said first-mentioned means and s,a1d arm whereby the engagement of said first-menquadrant out of engagement with said lever. 10. In hoists, a hoisting-receptacle, hoista riction-clutch, a lever adapted to'control position, a quadrant adapted to lock said leoperative position, said quadrant being ivthe free end of said quadrant, a second sector mg with said first sector, an arm rigidly attached to said second sector,meansinterposed drum and said power mechanism, alever adapted to engage said sector and. means" operated bythe'movement of; said receptacle v said-quadrant, a second sector pivoted to th said clutch, a device for automatically throwing said friction-clutch out of its operative,

verso that said clutch-us maintained in its 7. In oists .'a oisting-receptacle, a,cable-' drum controlhng said ,receptacle, ipower' mechanism) a friction-clutch adapted'to' a lever controlling said friction-clutch, a

stationary, a sector rigidly mountedion said quadrant, a'pivoted sector member adapted s ter'posed in the path of said receptacle and adapted to be engaged thereby and operative means connecting said last-mentioned mem'-.

couple said cable-drum and said power tioned means by said receptacle throws said.

in mechanism controlling said receptacle,

oted by one end, a sectorrigidly secure to ivoted on the engine-frame and intermeshinthe path of said receptacle and adapted to Signed at Denver, Colorado, this 7th day be engaged thereb and operative means of July, 1906. connectln'g' sald first-mentloned means and said arm whereby the engagement of said I W ILLIAM O 5 first-mentioned. means by said receptacle Witnesses:

throws said quadrant out of engagement with M. H. 1SEU-EI;S, said lever J. R HALDEMAN. 

